Book Description
My columns offer a friendly and intimate portrait of the Dominant/submissive lifestyle from someone on the inside. They focus on my expiences - from coming out, to dating, to particular interests such as sadism.
Customer Reviews:
a personal journal more than a book.......2007-08-14
I got this hopeing it would give me some insight into the spritual side of bdsm, not the case with this book. Basically it is a journal of her own experiences, and not even her personal spiritual insight, which I am sure has interest to some but not what I thought it was going to be.
Disappointing.......2007-08-12
A series of reprinted columns that make occasional titilating reading but more often cursory discussion of topics and disjointed reading. The title was the best part of this book.
very good book.......2007-02-09
It was a very good book. I will look for more from this author.
Get to know someone kinky.......2003-09-16
This is a collection of 54 columns written by Sensuous Sadie. The vast majority of these are very personal, dealing with her kink, her experiences, and her feelings. Only a few are really about topics of general information and even these are based on her experiences. Overall if you know who Sadie is and have enjoyed her online columns this book is a good way to catch up. If you aren't familiar with her, you'll get to be as you read. I really wish the entire book were organized chronologically instead of by subject because I think that would make our journey into her mind more powerful.
Customer Reviews:
Sufficiently Kink-y.......2007-06-27
The album with that may have the longest name in rock history, The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society, is now a book. It is part of the "33 1/3" series, now comprising over 40 volumes, with more on the way. Each volume is about an album, with musical acts far ranging from The Band to The Beastie Boys.
This particular volume, about the Ray Davies-led 1968 effort The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society, is written by Andy Miller (many different authors have contributed to the series thus far). Seeing is how there wasn't one about Rush, I immediately picked up the one about The Kinks, one of the most underrated bands of the British Invasion.
TKATVGPS is a wonderful album, and being born almost 20 years after its initial release I was completely unaware is was a flop upon release. Miller's volume sheds light on the creation of the album, the recording sessions, and the relationship of the band to the album's material.
It tops out at 150 pages, and it's about six inches high, so it's a nice little volume. It doesn't, however, go into the meaning of the lyrics as much as I'd like, but I think that's a point of personal preference.
Overall, this volume of the 33 1/3 series is pretty well written, and a great gateway to understanding a great album. My only reservation is that the cover price on these is about $10. A couple dollars off of that and I'd be quick to buy several more.
If they have one about an album you're especially fond of, pick t up. This is a very cool series of books, and I hope it continues long into the future.
quick, but insightful reading.......2007-03-09
this book offers track-by-track commentary about the album. i kinda wished there was more information about the begginigs of the band, as there is on other books of this collection. still worth reading though.
A Must Have Book.......2007-02-07
I won't go into specifics, as John Murphy's review did an admirable job already. Miller's book is the best I have read so far in the 33 1/3 series, and is a must own for anyone who loves this album. I'm currently on my 7th time around reading through it.
One thing I want to point out, that I think John Murphy misunderstood, is that at the time this book was written and published (2003), the 3-CD reissue of Village Green had not yet been released (it would come out the following year). The reissue Miller mentions is actually the 1998 CD on Castle, as stated in the Notes at the end of the book.
Erudition without pretension.......2007-02-05
Erudition without pretension, Andy Miller's book eschews the fawning quality of many tributes to classic rock in his thoughtful and well-written study. Not only does he examine the actual tracks that appeared on the original 1968 LP, but he sifts through the many tracks also made around this time by the Kinks, or more specifically it seems nearly all of the time, Ray Davies. Ray definitely is the prime mover here over brother Dave and Mick Avory and Pete Quaife, and the shift by this time from a band to more of a backing band for Ray's ambitious vision and undeniable talent does make for honest if rather sad reading. For, it foreshadows the 70s permutation and the subsequent relegation of musicians to back Ray D. under the Kinks name-- rather than as the earlier band of four musicians working together.
The pressures that Ray was under, the frustration of the band with their own stagnation, the neglect by this time of 1968 to the Kinks' already dated impact, and the semi-obscurity within which the band labored: all make for illuminating background. It's an album that seems an anomaly at first, but Miller carefully shows in convincing fashion the satirical and ironic elements that Davies and mates used to embed trenchant commentary on the foibles both of hidebound eccentric villagers in Little Britain and the hip cognoscenti and acid casualties of the Summer of Love and its aftermath.
Miller does not skim over the album's lesser tracks, nor does he inflate the passable songs into undeniable triumphs. He notes each song and how it strengthens, supports, or merely adds to the layers of observation on a musical and social level of modernity and nostalgia. It, like the LP, makes its points in much more appealing manner than it sounds like on the page! Rather than unmitigated bombast common to so many authors on pop music, Miller takes himself out of the scene. He steps aside. He gives a straightforward account of what works best and so-so and not so well on the album and its complicated history, when practically a whole "lost" Kinks album haunts the tracks officially released.
Of course, you must have heard the album many times to appreciate the comments Miller makes. One difficulty I had was that the newest 3-CD British reissue was mentioned, but not scrutinized in sufficient depth. Since this version of the mono and studio recordings as well as ancillary tracks and discarded and alternate songs is for now the most (if not THE) definitive version fans will have the chance to hear, the lack of in-depth analysis given it remains surprising. The lack of coverage given the choices made for better and worse by the compilers of the 3-CD reissue does make this book less useful than it should have been. Since the long-awaited remastering and reissue of this album filled--if still incompletely--a crucial gap in definitive versions of 60s classic albums in rock and pop, I argue that this (imperfect but the best we will have for awhile if ever) reissue should have been made the standard source upon which Miller based his critique. While the new 3-CD set has many shortcomings, it is the most complete picture to date of how the Kinks sounded at the time around this, their landmark recording.
Although this little volume also suffers since key song lyrics seem to have been quoted only sparingly, perhaps for copyright reasons, if one is familiar with the album already, the encounter with print that enriches the recordings will be more rewarding than not. I do wish much more of the verses Ray D. penned could have been appended; the book suffers severely from its limited quotes of the actual song lyrics. Apposite allusions to Orwell, Goldsmith, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and the English poetic pastoral tradition of renewable pessimism in the guise of nostalgia make this book an intelligent and welcome entry in the Crossroads series.
My wife was reading the Crossroads volume on the Replacements' "Let it Be" by the Decemberists' Colin Meloy at the same time I read Miller on TKATVGPS, and my choice certainly shone all the brighter by comparison with the rather puerile gush and self-conscious autobiographical take Meloy did for his album choice. Miller keeps away from such potential pitfalls. He gives us a reading of the album that brings primary research, archival investigation, and carefully nuanced criticism together for an efficient, worthwhile, and satisfying read.
A Perfect Compliment to the Album.......2006-06-05
Though the 3 cd reissue of Village Green Preservation Society is excellent, it lacks extensive liner notes that shed more light on it. This book details everything about the album, the band during that period, the recording sessions and how it translated live. The analysis is crucial. While the Kinks after their sound matured were masters at social commentary what they were expressing in their songs was not always obvious if you weren't there at the time. For example the song on Village Green "Last of the Steam Powered Trains" is referring (at least according to the book) about a blues rave up by Howlin' Wolf "Smokestack Lightning" that was a live staple of all the bands at that time until psychadelia encroached which made the music instantly nostalgic. The book expertly picks through the threads that that the album is woven from. I find all the books in this series to be enlightening but the ones that are the notable discuss albums that haven't been already picked apart by rock critics (e.g. Neutral Milk Hotel) and while the Kinks have been around for a while this book offers a fresh perspective on an album that not only has not dated but with its then unique mix of nostalgia and cynicism become ripe for discussion.
Average customer rating:
- Kink is hot!
- 4.5 Klovers! Courtesy of CK2S Kwips & Kritiques
- two fun erotic romances
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Kink (Heat)
Saskia Walker , and
Sasha White
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ASIN: 0425213994 |
Book Description
Two men. Two women. Two stories. Too wild...
Contemporary erotica filled with love, lust, and kink.
Watch Me
Some people have coffee. Some have tea. But the only thing that wakes Bethany Mack up in the morning is sex. Too bad marriage to Grant has settled her into a sex-starved routine-that is, until she spies a hot, muscled roofer next door. So she puts on a little show for him through the window, letting her inhibitions loose, and discovers a naughty new addiction. But how will her husband react when he discovers just how far a desperate housewife will go for some loving from him?
Sex, Lies, and Bondage Tape
When Kelly Burton sneaks past security for a singer's autograph, she's soon distracted by the hot bouncer who finds her. After a scolding, the bouncer decides to have his wicked way with the naughty-but-eager groupie. And what follows is a night of passion, hard-rock-style.
Customer Reviews:
Kink is hot!.......2007-05-16
This book was awesome. It has two wonderful stories in it. Watch Me by Sasha White and Sex, Lies, and Videotape by Saskia Walker.
Sex, Lies, and Videotape
Kelly Burton is at a concert trying to sneak backstage to get an autograph for her friend, who couldn't go to the concert. She sees a whole new side to rock star, Clayton Warren. Clayton's bodyguard catches her when she trying to leave the dressing room. Tommy Samson is one sexy bodyguard. Kelly is glad Tommy caught her and ends up spending the night at his hotel. They both think that it is going to be a one night stand, but they keep thinking about each other and they try to find each other again.
Watch Me
Bethany is feeling a bit restless. Her husband Grant has been working late a lot and Bethany is feeling a little lonely. Until she sees a roofer working on her neighbor's roof. She starts teasing men until one afternoon her husband makes an unexpected trip home to get some papers for work. Suddenly Bethany is getting a lot of attention from her husband.
4.5 Klovers! Courtesy of CK2S Kwips & Kritiques.......2007-02-21
Exhibitionism, Bondage, Spanking... Two stories by two different authors share a common theme...
Don't let the title frighten you off - while the anthology Kink definitely lives up to its name, the kink its stories indulge in will be palatable to most erotica readers. Authors Saskia Walker and Sasha White have penned two tales that complement each other well, and while both stories enjoy a spicy edge, neither move into hard core BDSM.
~Sex, Lies, and Bondage Tape by Saskia Walker~
Sneak backstage at the end of the concert, get Clayton Warren's autograph for a friend, and get out - that was the plan. But the old adage `Best laid plans go astray' was never truer than when Kelly found herself hiding behind a clothes rack in the rock star's dressing room witnessing an encounter with his lover - his male lover!
Forgetting the autograph, she realizes she just needs to get out, and fast. With security hot on her tail, she makes a dash for it, only to be caught by the hunkiest bouncer she's ever seen... One look Tommy Sampson's abs, and she changes her plans once again. She has no intention of getting away from this sexy security guy - at least, not until morning!
Sex, Lies, and Bondage Tape is the first story I've ready by author Saskia Walker, and I know it won't be my last! Walker has created a story that is marvelously complex for an anthology, but never loses its focus. Although there is a side story in the plot, it is really a device to further the romance between our main characters, Kelly and Tommy, and Walker uses these supporting characters brilliantly without confusing the story at all. Instead, the story progresses at a natural pace, making the readers feel almost as if they are voyeurs themselves, indulging in their own bit of `kink'!
The romance between Tommy and Kelly is unconventional, most certainly, but make no mistake that it is a romance. Kelly has run from love for a long time, and makes a practice of loving and leaving the men in her life quickly. Tommy breaks down her barriers, and sneaks inside her defenses before he even realizes he wants more than a brief fling with her...
~Watch Me by Sasha White~
Beth loves her husband, she really does. She knows his promotion is good for them long-term, but the late nights and diminished sex life that goes along with it are starting to get to her. She would never cheat on Grant, but she wants to feel attractive again... When she catches the roofer on top of the house next door gazing at her through her bedroom window, it sparks something inside, and releases her inner wanton. A series of exhibitionist episodes ensue, until Grant catches her in the act and reacts in a way she never anticipated even in her wildest fantasies!
This is actually the second anthology I've read that included Sasha White, and I've been very impressed with her talent both times. With Watch Me, she does something very clever - she writes the first part of the book in such a way that the reader's feelings begin to mirror Beth's, the lead female character. We actually feel her boredom, her frustration, and her worry that she is less desirable. When Grant catches her in the act, the story kicks into high gear. His reaction and her punishment throw both Beth and the reader off kilter - the Grant we thought we knew becomes so much more!
two fun erotic romances.......2007-02-07
"Sex, Lies, and Bondage Tape" by Saskia Walker. Following the Clayton Warren concert, Kelly Burton sneaks back stage to obtain an autograph from the rock star for her injured friend who could not attend. She quickly feels like a shocked voyeur as she catches the hunk with a gay lover. However bouncer Tommy Sampson assumes she is a groupie for the pleasure of anyone backstage. They soon share a kinky night of hard and soft rock and roll, but though she wants round two they failed to exchange information.
"Watch Me" by Sasha White. Most people use coffee to wake up in the morning; Bethany Mack prefers sex, but her spouse Grant has been too busy so he neglects her carnal needs. Though she loves Grant, she begins to perform bad girl acts for strangers. When Grant learns of her performance for a roofer and a bus passenger, he becomes upset and determined to punish his wife by keeping her sexually satisfied whenever he is home because she will only be the bad girl for him.
The sex is fiery kink as the female protagonists in both contributions know what they want and go after their desires. The men are willing partners. Though some of the scenarios seem implausible like the bus (then again there is the When Harry Meets Sally restaurant scene), fans of erotic romance will enjoy the kinkiness of the SW twice the fun (and heat).
Harriet Klausner
Book Description
Tired of standing on the sexual sidelines? Wonder what it's like to be a real kink adventurer? Let world famous Midori lead you into the thick of it. This new collection of smoldering wisdom and and frank essays explores the Wild Side of Sex, including these burning subjects: * Is Your Prospect a Proper Pervert' * Fetishism: Sex, Romance, and Ritual * The Heart of Erotic Humiliation * Finding the Power Femme This delightfully twisted new volume entertains and titillates as well as educates, an erotic personal adventure exposing Midori's most helpful and empowering secrets.
Customer Reviews:
kink explained.......2007-07-30
Love this book. It will give you so many ideas to try and explain a few things;)
highly recommend.!!
fun to read.......2007-02-23
I liked this book. It is fun to read. Relaxing after a hard day of work
Superb Intelligent Discussions of Erotica and Fetishes.......2006-03-10
If you are intelligent, sensual, and yes, even spiritual, this is a wonderful collection of essays by a thoughtful, wise, self-actualized woman. I am merely a voyeur to the world of BDSM, but her descriptions of fetish worship, empowerment of women, treatment of others, sexual freedom all spoke to me, and were applicable in other avenues of my life. I highly recommend this book to all explorers, whether their explorations are conducted from the safety of a large, overstuffed armchair in front of a fireplace, or from the tethered confines of rope or the metal clasp of handcuffs... It feeds your mind, your imagination, your soul, and is also educational. Midori is a treasure.
Midori is eloquent and smart.......2006-02-27
The psychology, aesthetics and philosophy of erotic power exchange, D/s and S&M. Written with wit, imagination and intelligence. For someone new to BDSM it may help with self-acceptance and confidence. For all levels it may enhance your own understanding of what it is that we do.
Great information and sexy........2005-09-27
Midori is a fantastic teacher of the arts of love and sexuality. I love her style. This book is not a how to, but lots of great sex education comes through. Loved it.
Annie Sprinkle, Ph.D. Artist/Sexologist
Customer Reviews:
Retro-perspective in great detail, A true Kink.......2007-07-03
Dave writes from his very heart and soul with strong emotion and great sincerity and insight about hiw legendary battles with brother Ray. He gives the reader great indepth detail about his touring days as a prime example of the legendary sex, drugs and rock & roll in high gear and to the limits of maximum excess. Dave is a brilliant composer, inovative lead guitarist and overall musician on his own and the merits of his own work stands up well to the test of time. The compositional problem that Dave faced was that he happened to be member of the legendary Kinks with his brother Ray who is without question one of the greatest pop poet storyteller's in the business and his work to this day still exhibits that very fact. Dave goes on to discuss his and Ray's early school days, his relationship with his family, his many loves, his children and many other interesting issues and topics near and dear to Dave's heart. He write's about his thoughts and involvement in areas such as religion, politics, the occult, UFO hunting and many other fascinating subjects. Dave does tell The Kinks story from his point of view in which one has to assume is very accurate, stunning, amazing and incredibly interesting to say the least. From a literary standpoint the reader has to respect and appreciate the beautiful piece of musical and artistic literary history that this book represents. A highly recommended read and very entertaining. I hope that Dave write's a book of lyrical poetry at some point.
One of the Survivors.......2006-07-31
"One of the Survivors" is the title of a 1973 Kinks song and a fitting description of their founder and lead guitarist, Dave Davies. As detailed in "Kink: An Autobiography," Davies experienced enough debauchery, drama, and excesses in his first 49 years of life to fill several lifetimes. And what's even more impressive, he lived to tell the tale.
While brother Ray's autobiography, "X-Ray," is restrained, Dave's lets it all hang out. Sex, fights with Ray, drink and drugs, fights with Ray, UFOs, fights with Ray...it's all there in no-holds-barred black and white. Equal time is given to various aspects: family dynamics, the Kinks' music, touring, his stormy relationship with Ray, sexual experimentation, the politics of the music business, love, and spirituality. The book covers a lot of ground in 280 pages, and even includes photos and a Kinks discography.
It would be easy to slam this effort because of its ramblings and tangents, especially in later chapters when it seems to lose focus. For some readers, the author's claim to have been overtaken by intelligent life forms is enough to discredit the entire undertaking. But not for me. If Davies believes his body was invaded by extraterrestrials, who am I to question his reality? And while some of his confessions (like cheating on his long-suffering wife Lisbet) and his endless digs at Ray were slightly offensive, to me his story is, at its most basic, a tragic tale of the rivalry between a talented but vulnerable younger brother living in the shadow of his more talented and dominant older brother. In spite of his self-indulgences, it's difficult to hold a grudge.
For any Kinks fan, this is a must-read book. Davies is generous in referencing Kinks songs, e.g., which recordings were his personal favorites, anecdotes about their production and release, and the now-famous story about how he created his unique sound on "You Really Got Me" - the sound that launched their careers and inspired a legion of rockers.
Epilogue: Dave Davies is proving once again that he is a survivor. After suffering a serious stroke in 2004, he's fought his way back to recovery. Earlier this year, he recorded a new song called "God in My Brain," which he wrote, arranged, produced, sang, and performed, playing all of the instruments.
What a burn-out!.......2006-03-26
Dave Davies views on his days as a member of the Kinks do little more than show what damage 20+ years of drug and alcohol abuse can do to one who's none too stable to start. At least he stayed in the proper person throughout the writing of the book. Ray couldn't even manage that. This should have been titled "The Wake and Bake Life of a Rock Star". Coherent in places, but only just.
Both Sex, Drugs & R&R, AND Love, Hope & Compassion.......2005-10-21
KINK is subtitled The Outrageous Story of My Wild Years as the Founder and Lead Guitarist of the Kinks. Dave Davies is the younger brother who spent most of his life living in the shadow of Ray Davies, the lead singer of the Kinks and writer of most of their songs. Dave started playing in a band when he was 15 and quickly became addicted to their success and the R&R lifestyle of the 60's. While there is plenty of sex, drugs and rock and roll, this memoir has much added depth. There is a poignant "there but for fortune" scene about half-way through the book where Dave meets Keith Moon in a bar for the last time before Moon dies.
What saved Dave from the fatal excesses of his peers was a strong sense of family, that even extended to his troubled relationship with Ray. They are not the Everley Brothers. Dave knows he is being abused, but he also knows that Ray loves him as much as he loves Ray. He doesn't give up on Ray even when their mom and Ray's shrink tell him that Ray will destroy him.
The other saving grace for this hard-drinking rocker is Spiritualism, a faith that grows stronger as Dave ages and sees him through his bad times. It is surprising and very touching to find such a strong belief in UFOs, psychic energy, yoga, and universal love in a person who has led such a excessive life. Yet his deep compassion, love, and faith shine through his friendships with band members, his close relationships with the women in his life, and his love of his children.
One is left with the picture of a simple working-class man who rises to a whole new level of consciousness and spirit through the medium of music. This is required reading for any Kinks fan, but is also a delightful tale of the power of hope and love that will inspire many others.
Disappointing...........2003-05-26
On the good side, it's more emotionally direct that the memoir of his sibling and Kinks leader, Ray. But it's pretty shambolic and its nowhere near as well written as his brother's work.
The high points should be the 1960s part - the Kinks in that time produced some amazing music. But we don't get much about the music, we get a lot of stories about the general debauchery. Tales of drink, drugs, and non-choosey sex from that time are a dime a dozen and, frankly, are now getting pretty tired.
The book takes an unusual twist when Dave gets visited by alien life forms. When I got to this bit I thought 'this is a wind up, right?' but no, he is deadly serious.
The most unusual thing about the extra-terrestials part of the book, though, is they seem to be the only life-form the author met that he didn't try to have sex with.
Book Description
The story of The Kinks is not one for the faint-hearted, and in this updated biography Neville Marten and Jeff Hudson lift the lid on one of England's most idiosyncratic and charming bands. Through all the nervous breakdowns, resignations, guitars wielded as weapons, drug abuse, glasses without lenses, food fights, alien sightings, in-yer-face spitting, and mental torture The Kinks have become a rock 'n' roll legend! The songs of Ray Davies have inspired bands and artists across the full spectrum of pop and rock music, from Blur, Pulp, and Paul Weller to Van Halen. Their capacity for anarchy, humor, and storytelling has lead to some of the most durable and widely adored songs of the English pop canon, including Lola, Waterloo Sunset, and You Really Got Me. The band's inventive productions pre-dated even The Beatles, and their musical talent eclipsed The Rolling Stones. This is their story, compiled from interviews and anecdotes, and featuring photographs spanning Ray Davies' career. Previously published by Sanctuary.
Average customer rating:
- If you've been a guy in love..and been devastated..this book is your life...
- Koja delivers. again.
- Still wondering...
- Fascinating,original and delivered with punch!
- Good story, bad book.
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Kink: A Novel
Kathe Koja
Manufacturer: Henry Holt & Co
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ASIN: 0805043918 |
Amazon.com
With a blend of erotic and gothic sensibilities, Koja explores the facets of obsession in a three-way relationship between a man and two women set against the gritty downtown backdrop of late-night clubs and a decadent art scene. Gripping and sensuous, dark and edgy,
Kink is a tantalizing read.
Customer Reviews:
If you've been a guy in love..and been devastated..this book is your life..........2005-12-21
Rather than a standard review, I'll offer this, the reaction I had - what I wrote down - immediately after reading it...
"Line after line scrolls past his eyes, phosphors glittering -- meaningless, and full of everything -- endless and horribly finite in the cosmic expanse of existence. He is alone -- she gone to the store/park/friends house, all the same -- endless and absent. What is real is imprinted on the pages before him; what matters is dredged from past days, lost times and half-lived moments that cannot be reclaimed. All against the backdrop of alone -- in synch with the knowledge that she is not present, and he is too far gone not to think thoughts that will bring back the ghosts.
Others walk the columns/lines/words that blur into his past. He can't rip himself free of their embrace, can't stop them from claiming him and dragging him inward -- onward. Pain blossoms, echoes of other times, other lines that were his, and hers -- a different her -- also gone. Turn the page.
Wrong steps -- roads leading to despair known but impossible to dodge, because it is not he on the page but his memory, not under control, but controlling, and there is no escape except through. Through places/things/times where he never wanted to go again, where he has always been -- through with this, through that -- all the same emptiness; all the same pain without relief, never defeated, only buried and now dredged to the surface by pen and ink and psyche . . . laid bare against the backdrop of time, past/present blurred-- the same."
For more rambling, reviews, opinions...see my journal:
http://www.livejournal.com/users/deep_bluze
Koja delivers. again........2004-04-13
Kathe Koja, Kink (Henry Holt, 1996)
Kathe Koja's fifth novel, and her last (to date) book for adults, came and went in the blink of an eye. Published by a relatively obscure publisher (Henry Holt normally does textbooks and obscure "literary" fiction) rather than her native Dell, given next to no publicity, and allowed to languish, Kink fell into obscurity within a few months of its publication date. I first ran across word Koja had published a fifth novel two months after its release; when I tried to order a copy, Borders was unable to get it. It had already gone out of print. It has never, to my knowledge, been released in paperback.
To call this an abomination, a crime against nature, would perhaps be understating the case. Koja is one of a handful of writers who regularly compete for the title of America's finest living person of letters. Kink, coming after the two perfect novels Skin and Strange Angels, could only be a letdown, right? If it went out of print THAT fast?
Of course not, fool.
Kink is, as any fan of Koja's is probably happy to hear, a work of brilliance just as blinding and extreme as Strange Angels (or Straydog, the book that came afterwards, with six long years between the two). It is not, like her previous novels, horror. Unlike the others, it doesn't even pretend to be. Kink is human drama, pure and simple. The mysterious, ethereal characters who have peppered her work from the beginning of here career are here exposed as pathetic, degenerates for the sake of degeneracy, living in their own little worlds carved out of the fabric of reality, existing only to hover around Koja's main characters like moths drawn to a bug zapper.
In this case, the main characters are three: Jess and Sophie, the young couple in love, meet Lena, the alluring loner. Through a string of events that seem random to Jess, who narrates, Lena ends up moving in, and well, the inevitable occurs.
Three-way relationships, be they [adult relations] or platonic, are the most fragile of delicacies. The ability to manipulate the balance of power within one to one's own ends, whatever they may be, are endless. Ultimately, that's what Kink is about; the rest of the world (including the novel's readership) is clearly capable of seeing this from the get-go, while Jess is too thick-headed to get it. (The comments of many of the book's reviewers make me think that, while they get that Jess is too thickheaded to see what's going on, don't buy how easy it is to manipulate others in such a situation. Trust me. The realism here goes well above and beyond that to be found in Skin or Strange Angels.) Jess' inability to see what's going on around him is relatively understandable, as he's blinded by both his love for Sophie and his passion for Lena; he does make some hall-of-fame-worthy stupid moves at various times, which to be fair have to be rationalized away. Eventually, the book does move out of the world of the [physical relations] dynamic and back into the world of the pathetic losers I talked about at the start, a world Jess is now very familiar with, and the book sets up a mystery about one of Lena's old flames (with a sucker punch at the end that caps the book off perfectly) that continues the interest far beyond anything reasonable.
Kink is a novel about obsession. I get the feeling that the more of an obsessive personality you are as a reader, the more you'll get out of it. I can say with almost certainty that if you've been in a three-way relationship that went horribly, fatal-car-accident-scale wrong and stayed that way for a period of time, you're going to end up revering this book. Koja fans who have been hunting it down since its release will also not be disappointed. The rest of the world, well, recent research has led me to believe they just won't get it.
Kink is not as good as Strange Angels, but in the same way Skin is not as good as Strange Angels; the three of them (along with Straydog, but it being part of the "new phase" of Koja's work I probably shouldn't count it) form a triumvirate that could stand as a how-to guide for writers of fiction who want to deal in well-drawn characters, dark plots, and existential decay. Strange Angels, as I have often said, is one of the three or four best novels in the English language; "not as good" means Skin and Kink fall somewhere in the top, say, twenty-five. Whatever possessed Henry Holt to publish this I have no idea, but I just went back over my last five years of reading, and whatever it is, I hope it stays at Holt. It is by far the finest novel they ever produced that came across my desk. *****
Still wondering..........1999-08-02
Well...I guess I would say that I like this book. In fact it seemed amusing and humorous to me how incredibly inane Jess (the main character) was. There are moments where he seems on the verge of total stupidity and other times he just seems like your ordinary average clutz. Other than that, the characters seem pretty well drawn out. The plot gets confusing with what reminded of Kafka's writings. It's not a noir mystery, but somehow it carries just as stark an atmosphere as it deals with the little menage a trois that goes on in the story. Very interesting to say the least, but the story is confusing enough to make one want to read it again. Not that it would help...I'm still trying to figure some things out about it...I do like it though. Very visceral and a good read if you want something different.
Fascinating,original and delivered with punch!.......1998-11-26
This book is one of the most interesting I've ever read. It is somewhat satirical and looks at the frailties of human relationships.Jess, the narrator is an ordinary guy in a very unusual situation. He's in love with two women and must struggle both with his own psyche and selfish drives and the manipulitiveness of both women. This is a book about selfishness and it's consequences. It's not so much a plot-based book as a fascinating study of human relationships. Both dark and humorous at times and always intelligent and insightful. In summary, I loved it. Highly reccomended,
Good story, bad book........1997-05-06
I went through three stages while reading "Kink". The first was, "Why is this guy so stupid?" The book is written from the point of view of the man in a three-way relationship and he does the dumbest things. This isn't a case of, "You're in a three-way, dummy, it doesn't get any better so quit complaining." No, he just does dumb things. I chalk it up to the book being written by a woman. I mean, a woman writing from a man's point of view is as difficult as a man writing from a woman's point of view. Difficult but not impossible and the author doesn't pull it off.
The second phase was, "Get on with it." I'm not familiar with author Koja's works but this book is wordy. It's entertaining at the beginning of the book but it grates after a while. I found myself searching for quotation marks which signalled that the book was moving forward.
The third phase was, "I have to find out how this ends--quickly." It was a good story, just poorly executed (if it was a movie I would have written, "Good story, bad script."). Because of Koja's wordy style, I was able to quickly get through the last third of the book and find out what happened to the characters and not just to finish the book. I really wanted to find out what happened to these people. The author was successful in getting me to care about the characters. I just didn't care much for the book.
Book Description
This jam-packed book/CD pack will teach you the riffs and licks behind one of rock's most influential and enduring bands. It includes background information, extensive lessons, Dave and Ray Davies' transcribed licks and solos, a demonstration CD, and the history of The Kinks. Songs include: All Day and All of the Night * Come Dancing * Come On Now * Don't Forget to Dance * Lola * Rock 'N Roll Fantasy * Sleepwalker * Sunny Afternoon * (So) Tired of Waiting for You * Well Respected Man * You Really Got Me * and more.
Customer Reviews:
Exeptional quality.......2005-01-14
When I got this book I expected the same old story as with similar books, too little explanation and too fast demos. The fact is that this book/CD is different, the explanation is detailed and easy to follow with numbers to match the CD tracks, and the demos are played first on normal speed, and then slow to make it extremely easy to follow. This set improved my playing seriously. Highly recommended
Book Description
Handbook for Rubber Fetish
Customer Reviews:
THE ENTICING WORLD OF RUBBER.......2007-06-27
Tim Brough writes a lot of books and he has the unique ability to make each fetish enticing and understandable.
I knew little about the fascination of rubber before reading his latest SKIN TIGHT. For example, "Zach",the short story, plunges you right into a dramatic and erotic world where men are molded by thick black rubber. Other sections of the book describe the exciting process of becoming a true Rubberman, as well as the history of the fetish in this country and in Europe, with personal reminiscences from different aspects of rubber.
It's essential reading for any man or woman who wants to find out in detail about the Rubber World.
Rubbery notes from the author.......2007-01-03
Greetings - My name is Tim Brough and I am the principle author of "Skin Tight: Rubbermen, Macho Fetish and Fantasy." I have spent a great many years documenting the gay rubber fetish community, beginning with editing Rubber Rebel magazine from 1994-96 and continuing with helming the Vulcan America magazine and website from 1997 till 2003. Much of "Skin Tight" is material selected from the best of what those magazines had to offer. There are also several new and never before seen articles and interviews.
Some of what is included in "Skin Tight" was previously only available in the since discontinued Vulcan America website. There is a graphic story called "The Rubber Frogmen" that is very heavy on underwater kink, and has never been in print until now. Several of the interviews have been updated and expanded from their original editions, and new interviews conducted in 2006 appear.
"Skin Tight" also covers a basic tenet: taking care of your gear! Two different rubbermen give their advice and directions on keeping your wardrobe at its finest, and there's a brief chat with Invincible Rubber's Paul Lewis on how some of the best gear in the world gets created. Mr. Lewis is one of three "Rubber Personality" profiles, the other two are noted rubber fetish photographer James Bond along with balloon fetishist and adult video star Buster.
Scott Moats and the late Peter "Rubber Bear" Tolos designed the Rubber Pride Flag and their tale is presented in "Skin Tight: Rubbermen, Macho Fetish and Fantasy." Peter's best known erotic story, "Zach" is included in its entirety, pulled together from the serialized chapters first printed in various Rubber Rebel magazines.
The greatest single addition to the book is a tenth anniversary history of Mr. International Rubber, the annual contest held in Chicago. From its start in Boston to its present standing as America's leading rubber event, many of the participants and organizers shared their thoughts and experiences with me about MIR. Events such as RUBBOUT and clubs across the country are also profiled, including a conversation with a founder of America's first rubber club, The Five Senses.
"Skin Tight: Rubbermen, Macho Fetish and Fantasy" is probably - more than any of my previous three books - a labor of love. Come and meet some of the folks in my extended family, and thanks for reading.
Books:
- Kinetic House-Tree-Person Drawings: K-H-T-P: An Interpretative Manual (K-H-T-P : An Interpretative Manual)
- King Harold II and the Bayeux Tapestry (Pubns Manchester Centre for Anglo-Saxon Studies)
- Lady in the Dark: Biography of a Musical
- Lady on the Hill: How Biltmore Became an American Icon
- Layout Index: Brochure, Web Design, Poster, Flyer, Advertising, Page Layout, Newsletter, Stationery Index
- Love Is a Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time
- Methods for Effective Teaching: Promoting K-12 Student Understanding (4th Edition)
- More Tales of the City (Showtime Tie-In Edition)
- Mozart and the Whale: An Asperger's Love Story
- Music Fundamentals, Methods, and Materials for the Elementary Classroom Teacher (with Audio CD) (4th Edition)
Books Index
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